Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of portable information handling systems, and more particularly to a portable information handling system detachable support and attachment device, such as a tablet-to-docking station attachment interface for media stand, charging stand, monitor or keyboard supports.
Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Portable information handling systems tend to increase end user productivity because end users can interact with information on the go. For example, end users often carry small-sized tablet information handling systems, such as smartphones, to access e-mail and the Internet through wireless interfaces, such as wireless wide area networks (WWAN) and wireless local area networks (WLAN). Generally, tablet information handling systems provide greater portability by using a touchscreen display as both an input and an output device so that the housing does not have to include a keyboard. Although a touchscreen input device, such as a displayed keyboard, provides improved portability for an end user by reducing the size and weight of the information handling system, displayed input devices tend to have limited productivity when compared against traditional input devices, such as mechanical keyboards. In order to improve productivity at tablet information handling systems, end users often turn to peripheral keyboards, such as docking station devices that include a keyboard and support the tablet in a vertical orientation similar to that of a conventional clamshell laptop information handling system. End users tend to appreciate the familiarity of the clamshell laptop configuration with the option of detaching the display portion for use as a tablet.
One difficulty with detachable keyboard docking stations for tablet information handling systems is that the tablet information handling systems are often designed to have a minimal footprint that provides decreased structural integrity for securely coupling with a docking station. Often, tablet information handling systems mounted in a vertical orientation over a detachable keyboard tend to wobble in an unstable manner. The wobble is typically increased by the “slop” or extra room designed in the tablet attachment point to make alignment by an end user of a tablet information handling system less difficult. Another difficulty with detachable keyboard docking systems is that the attachment point tends to include unattractive features on both the tablet and keyboard portions in order to obtain a secure connection that readily releases. Besides reducing the physical attractiveness of the system, the attachment and detachment mechanism is often difficult and awkward to use. For example, the small footprint of tablet information handling systems tends to call for small mechanical actuators and locks that are difficult for end users to manipulate. Often, attachment of a tablet to a keyboard base is a blind procedure in which the end user is unable to visually acquire opposing attachment devices, which often include alignment of multiple features simultaneously. End users can become frustrated if complex attachment devices require multiple attempts to engage with a tablet information handling system. Additional frustration often arises when the end user attempts to detach the tablet information handling system from the keyboard using an awkward two-handed operation.